Cherries boss Eddie Howe said: “I’ve got some sympathy for the ref because I didn’t see it at the time.

“The only thing I saw was Marc Pugh’s reaction and knowing the player as I do, that gave me a sign there was something.

“It’s only when you see it again, slowed down, that you see it’s a clear-cut penalty.

“But that’s not the reason we didn’t win – we simply didn’t take our other chances when they came.”

The hosts began with a belief and intensity that should have been rewarded with a goal.

In the third minute following fine build-up play, Josh King played Jermain Defoe through on goal from where the striker struck the underside of the bar.

When the rebound fell to Pugh, he had a near-open goal with visiting keeper Kasper Schmeichel out of position but when his shot was blocked by Simpson’s outstretched hand, appeals for a penalty were ignored by ref Graham Scott.

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GK: David De Gea (Manchester United) - 90 rating

“We simply didn’t take our other chances when they came”

Cherries boss Eddie Howe

Bournemouth consistently threatened and Pugh soon had another good chance but he connected poorly and sent the ball harmlessly wide.

If the busy midfielder had felt discouraged, it did not show when he broke down the left wing and squared to King just inside the area but the forward struck wide.

Pugh had another chance approaching half-time after King cause chaos for Leicester down the right but he shot over.

With the first half ending goalless, there was already a suspicion the hosts had wasted their finest chance of victory.